source Algemeen Handelsblad dated 23 April 1937 while visiting the Netherlands
This Dutch newspaper published an item dated Berlin 22 March according to which England needed especially tankers. The under secretary for the British department of shipping sir Arthur Walter said before his departure for the United States as special ambassador for Churchill that the transfer of tankers to his country was really urgent. In these circumstance was the loss of the whaler Terje Viken of 20,000 gross tonnage owned by the United Whalers Company of London (1)sunk by a German submarine a severe blow. This whaler was just 5 years ago build at Bremen and only the German whaler Unitas was larger.
Note
1. Johan Nicolay Tønnessen, Arne Johnsen, 1982, The history of modern whaling, p.426-428, registered in London on 4 October 1935, in fact an affiliate of the Hector Whaling Company which was partly controlled by Unilever due to the possession of 20,000 shares. The Terje Viken was at that moment thanks to a gross tonnage of 20,638 tons indeed the largest floating whale oil factory of the world. She was torpedoed on 7 March 1941. The Unitas see page 431 was build in 1936-1937 as her sister ship although due to an extra shelter deck somewhat larger with 21,845 gross tons, After the Second World War she became the Empire Victory, later the Abraham Larsen and since 1957 the Nisshin Maru II. According to the newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 23 April 1937 visited she the Netherlands. According to a heading by a photo was she world largest floating oil whale factory with a measurement of 30,000 tons and which arrived the day before at the N.V. Schieveem at Schiedam to unload whale oil. The newspaper Het Vaderland morning edition dated 10 September 1938 described another visit and the fact that her inventory was seized by bailiff Joh. M. van Twuyver to guarantee the claims of the widow of the merchant who was killed caused fallen in a tank after being ill due to gas. Her master, steersman and some sailors were questioned what exactly happened. It was expected that she would not return for a long time in the Netherlands if she ever would come back. The newspaper Het Nieuwsblad van het Noorden dated 17 May 1941 called her an British-Norwegian whaler with a gross tonnage of 20,600 tons. The daily edition of the newspaper Het Vaderland dated 23 March 1941 reported that she was torpedoed while being part of a convoy off the British West coast. She was build in 1936 with a measurement of 30,000 tons, owned by the “United Whalers” at London and flying the British colours. She was in fact worlds largest floating whale oil factory fitted out with the most modern equipment for processing the catch. In April 1937 unloaded she 40,000 tons whale oil at Schiedam. In 1938 was she docked in the Prins Hendrikdok at Amsterdam for some repairs. The evening edition of the newspaper Het Vaderland 2 August 1938 reported that at that moment two British whalers Terje Viken and the Surabaya visited the plant Nieuw Matex N.V. at Vlaardingen. The dimensions of the Terje Viken were 623 x 81 feet and a tonnage of 20,638 tons and of the Surabaya 470 x 58 feet and a tonnage of 10,107 tons.
